Neidhardt



April 17, 1962 K. NEIDHARDT 3,029,917

DELIVERY DEVICE FOR THE SLIDEWAYS OF SILOS FOR BAGGED OR PIECE GOODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 10, 1960 1N VEN TOR Ka r1 Neidhardt April 17, 1962 K. NEIDHARDT 3,029,917

DELIVERY DEVICE FOR THE. SLIDEWAYS OF SILOS FOR BAGGED 0R PIECE GOODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1.0, 1960 INVENTOR Karl Neidhardt United States Patent ()fifice 3,@29,9 l 7 Patented Apr. 17, 1962 This invention relates to a delivery or emptying device for the slideways of silos or other storage buildings for bagged or piece goods.

Various designs of delivery devices for suchsilos are already known. Some, for instance, have vertical or horizontal motor-driven rollers. In some others the slideway can be closed at the end by a flap opena'ble from a closed position, the flap being pivotable in a plane transverseiy of the direction in which the material moves off the slideway. The flap must therefore receive, during the opening, the pressure applied by the goods in the direction of sliding. in the conventional delivery-devices the bags are deformed as they are delivered off the slideway, with the result that there are disturbances and losses of material.

The invention relates to a delivery device of the kind specified which 'is devoid of motors and transmission systems and in which the slideway is closed by a flap. According to the invention, the final portion of the slideway takes the form of a downwardly pivotable rocking member which engages below a moving base portion raisable from the slideway surface, the path formed by the rocking member being closed by a flap mounted for pivoting in the direction in which the material slides. The moving base portion, which forms apart of the slideway with its whole length, rests by its end on the short lever arm of the rocking member and extends to at least the place of mounting thereof.

The flap can be latched to stop by means of a rod or the like. trically or mechanically when it is required to empty the slideway article by article. Convenienty, the rod cornprises a roller at the end. Advantageously, the stop takes the form of a recess in a guide for the roller.

The delivery device according to the invention is very simple and strong. The thrust or weight of the line of bags is the only force used in the delivery of the bags and in the locking of the flap. The device is entirely mechanical, use being mainly made of the kinetics of the cooperating elements. Conveniently, unlatching is performed mechanically by a short lever movement or the like. Alternatively electrical means, for instance, a solenoid, can be provided. The flap relatches automatically.

Advantageously, the slideway is closed at the top at least near the delivery device. The ceiling surface of the slideway can be profiled, or be given an adhesive covering, as a cooperating pressure surface. However, the delivery device according to the invention can be similarly used in slideways open at the top, provided that the moving base portion is raised sufiiciently by the rocking member.

An embodiment of the subject matter of the invention is illustrated in the drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1-3 are diagrammatic side elevations of an embodiment of the delivery device according to the invention in various working positions, and

FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows how the delivery device can be disposed when the slideways are placed closely above one another.

The slideway 1 of the silo or other structure for bagged or piece goods comprises a rocking member 2 hingedly mounted at 3. Disposed before the rocking member 2 in The flap can be unlatched manually or elec-' the slideway 1 is a moving base portion 4 pivotable 2 around a transverse spindle 5. The forward end of the moving base portion 4 rests on the rocking member 2 and extends at least to the pivot 3 thereof. A closure flap 6 is disposed at the discharge end of the slideway 1 and at the forward end of the rocking member 2 and a rod 7 is articulated to the flap 6 as at 8. By means of its free end of the rod, which conveniently comprises a roller 9, the rod 7 engages in a guide 10 which can be secured to the extension of a top part 11 of the slideway 1. Cooperating with the rocking member 2 is a stop 12 to limit downward pivoting of the rocking member 2. The roller and in which case the inside 11a of the ceiling of the slideway 1 forms a cooperating pressure surface for the moving base portion 4. The surface 11a can be specially shaped or provided with an adhesive covering to suit requirements.

The delivery or emptying device according to the invention operates as follows: The first bag or the like which enters the empty slideway 1 and which may or may not have its speed reduced by a pneumatic retarder 14, as shown in FIG. 4, slides as far as the flap 6. The rocking member 2 has now been depressed as far as the stop 12. The forward end of the moving base portion 4 is therefore raised by the pivoting of the relatively short lever arm of the rocking member 2 and cooperates with the surface 11a to form a cuneiform channel (FIGS. 2 and 3), to retard the movement of the bag 16. The next bag to arrive slides into the cuneiform channel and stops thereinsince the bag resting on the rocking member 2 easily overcomes the pressure of the moving base portion 4 by the leverage provided by the rocking member 2. All the following bags pile up behind the bag retained on the portion 4 and may fill the entire slideway as far as the entry thereof. The forwardmost bag is prevented from sliding off the rocking member 2 by the flap 6, since the rod 7 is engaged in the latch 13 (FIG. 2).

To empty the slideway 1, the roller 9 in the recess 13 is raised, for instance, mechanically by means of a pull rope, or electrically by a magnet or the like, so that the bag 15 on the rocking member 2 can open the flap 6. The flap pivots upwardly, the closure rod 7 with the roller 9 moving into the guide 10. The bag 15 now slides off the rocking-member onto a conveyor belt, chute or the like below the silo or other structure. As the bag leaves and releases the rocking member 2, the same is pivoted up.

again by the pressure of the bags 16, 17 on the moving base portion 4. The same drops, and the restriction in the space above the base portion 4, together with the retardation associated with such restriction, is removed. The next bag 16 can slide onto the rocking member 2, with the result that the same is pressed down again and the bag 17 behind the bag 16 is retarded and held. 7

However, before the bag 16 slides onto the empty rocking member, the flap 6 has already dropped and pivoted back by its own weight and a corresponding impetus or by means of springing, so that the roller 9 re-engages in the recess 13 for holding the flap against movement. The bag which has slid onto the rocking member therefore abuts the flap 6 which closes the space above the rock ing member, the bag therefore being retained thereon.

The next bag 17 is stopped firmly against the front end of the moving base portion 4.

The next removal operation is then initiated by disengaging the roller 9 from the recess 13 and thus releasing the flap 6, the steps hereinbefore described then being repeated. Disengagement must always be performed manually or by an electromagnet or the like. All the other 0 steps of retarding the bags and of the bags being slid up into position or the like are performed automatically.

The section 11b of the top part 11 of the slideway can be movable as illustrated in F185. 1 to 3. This section 11b is hinged at 18 so that the clear height between the parts 11b and 4 can be varied. The front portion of the section 1112 can be fixed by the pin 19 which can be put through the members 20 and 21 respectively carried by the top portions 11 and 11b. The member 21 will have several holes 23, and the section 11b can be lowered if bags 16, 17 are of smaller size. The fixation of the part 11b to the part 20 can be made, too, by means of a spring in order that the section 11b is slightly yieldable.

The showing of the invention in 'FIG. 4 comprises the placement of the slideways one above the other and as illustrated a retarder 14 depends from the upper wall of each slideway for controlling the passage of bags or the like through the slideway. The retarders are preferably of a pneumatic type to accommodate bags of different dimensions.

While there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A slideway for receiving bagged or piece goods for single delivery at the discharge end thereof, comprising a bottom wall and a top wall, and a closure flap at the discharge end, a section of the bottom wall at the discharge end being pivotally mounted to have its terminal end pivot outwardly with a weight thereon, an adjacent portion of the bottom wall being pivotally mounted to have its forward end overlie the rear end of the pivoted section at the discharge end and to be pivoted upwardly toward the top wall to hold a bag thereon against forward movement during discharge of the leading bag and said closure flap being releasable to permit discharge of the lead bag, said closure flap being pivotally mounted, a rod extending from said flap and a guide for the free end of said rod having a depression therein to hold said rod against movement with said flap in its closed position.

2. A slideway for receiving bagged or piece goods for single delivery at the discharge end thereof, comprising a bottom wall and a top wall, and a closure flap at the dis charge end, a section of the bottom wall at the discharge end being pivotally mounted to have its terminal end pivot outwardly with a Weight thereon, an adjacent portion of the bottom wall being pivotally mounted to have its forward end overlie the rear end of the pivoted section at the discharge end and to be pivoted upwardly toward the 4 top wall to hold a bag thereon against forward movement during discharge of the leading bag, said closure flap being releasable to permit discharge of the leading bag, and said top wall having a section thereof pivotally adjustable relative to the bottom wall to accommodate the slideway to bags of different sizes.

3. A slideway as in claim 2, wherein the closure flap is pivotally mounted, a rod extending from the flap and a guide for the free end of the rod having a depression therein to hold the rod against movement with the flap in closed position.

4. A slideway for receiving bagged and piece goods for individual delivery at the discharge end thereof, said slideway comprising a bottom wall and a top wall, said bottom wall including a terminal panel, means pivotally mounting said bottom wall terminal panel intermediate the ends thereof and adjacent the rear end thereof, said bottom wall also including a next adjacent panel, means pivotally mounting said bottom wall next adjacent panel adjacent the rear end thereof, said bottom wall next adjacent panel having a forward end directly overlying and resting on said bottom wall terminal panel for upward movement to an article holding position relative to said top wall in response to the tilting of said bottom wall terminal panel by an article resting thereon, a closure flap pivotally mounted at the forward end of said bottom wall terminal panel, and means holding said closure flap in a slideway closing position.

5. The slideway of claim 4 wherein said closure flap is tiltable in the direction of the movement of articles in said slideway.

6. The slideway of claim 4 wherein said closure flap is tiltable in the direction of the movement of articles in said slideway, and is pivoted directly to said top wall.

7. The slideway of claim 4 wherein said top wall has a panel directly overlying said bottom wall next adjacent panel, means pivotally connecting the rear end of said top wall panel to the remainder of said top wall, and means adjustably connecting the forward end of said top wall panel to the remainder of said top wall to adjust the spacing between the forward end of said top wall panel and the forward end of said bottom wall next adjacent panel, whereby the slideway may be adjusted to handle articles of different thicknesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,243 Neidhardt July 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,144,889 France Apr. 29, 1957 

